This application is related to an application entitled xe2x80x9cAssembly And Accumulation Of Sliders For Profiled Zippersxe2x80x9d Ser. No. 09/307,893, filed May 10, 1999; and to an application entitled xe2x80x9cFastener With Slider Thereon For Use In Manufacturing Recloseable Bagsxe2x80x9d Ser. No. 09/307,843, filed May 10, 1999. Both applications are filed concurrently with this application, and are assigned to the same assignee as the assignee of this application. Both applications and their disclosures are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The present invention is directed to zippers, zipper arrangements, and methods of manufacturing the same. Specifically, the present invention is directed towards zipper arrangements having a notched zipper and at least one slider for use in manufacturing thermoplastic bags and methods of manufacturing the same.
Plastic bags are popular for storing food and other items. Zippered plastic bags that can be securely closed and reopened are particularly popular due to their perceived ability to maintain freshness of the food stored in the bags and/or to minimize or eliminate leakage into and out of the bag. These bags are used one at a time by consumers. These bags are also used by businesses to package items that are then sold to consumers. For example, nuts, candy, snacks, ingredients, salt, cheese, and other food and non-food products are packed in these bags by form, fill and seal machines.
Slider bags have become popular with customers for a variety of reasons, including difficulty in opening and closing a zippered bag without a slider. Product manufacturers have not, however, used zippers with sliders in their form, fill and seal machines for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include the difficulty in having a reliable assembly of sliders to zipper at form, fill and seal manufacturing rates, supplying zipper with sliders that are not prone to machine jamming and excessive downtime, and installing sliders in tight and constraining areas in form, fill and seal machine footprints.
Accordingly, a need exists to address the above-noted problems by supplying zippers in a convenient configuration and having methods of easily placing sliders onto zippers.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a zipper arrangement for use in manufacturing bags includes a zipper and at least one slider. The zipper includes first and second opposing tracks. The first track has a first profile and the second track has a second profile. The first and second profiles are releasably engageable to each other. The first track has one or more spaced primary notches interrupting the first profile. The slider is inserted onto the first profile via a respective one of the primary notches. The slider is adapted to engage and disengage the first and second profiles in response to movement along the zipper.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the second track has a second profile and one or more spaced primary notches interrupting the second profile. The second primary notches are generally aligned with respective ones of the first primary notches to form aligned pairs of primary notches. The slider is inserted onto the first profile via a respective one of the aligned pairs of primary notches.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a folded zipper includes first and second opposing tracks that each have one or more primary notches interrupting respective profiles. The primary notches are generally aligned to respective ones of the first primary notches to form aligned pairs of primary notches. The zipper includes a plurality of fold areas generally transverse to a length of the zipper and the zipper is folded along the fold areas.
According to a further embodiment, a folded zipper has a first track having one or more primary notches and a second track having one or more spaced slits interrupting the second profile. The slits are generally aligned to respective ones of the primary notches. The zipper includes a plurality of fold areas generally transverse to a length of the zipper and the zipper is folded along the fold areas.
According to one method of the present invention, a zipper and at least one slider are provided. The first track has one or more spaced primary notches interrupting the first profile. The slider is mounted onto a second profile and into a respective one of the primary notches. The slider is slid onto the first profile via a respective one the primary notches.
According to another method, a zipper and at least one slider are provided. The slider is positioned in a respective one of the aligned pairs of primary notches. Each of the first and second opposing tracks has one or more primary notches interrupting respective profiles. The slider is slid onto the first and second profiles via a respective one of the aligned pairs of primary notches.